RSLP Revelation project Unlocking research resources for 19th and 20th century church history and Ch

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RSLP Revelation projectUnlocking research
resources for 19th and 20th century church
history and Christian theology

• Linda NeedhamProject OfficerMapping Component

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The mapping component

• The goal is to develop web-based collection-level
  descriptions of the major printed and archival
  resources for the study of 19th and 20th century
  Christian theology and church history within the
  UK.
• To accomplish this we will use a template
  combining the RSLP/UKOLN Collection Level
  Description tool for printed collections, and the
  HE Archives Hub collection description template
  for archives.
• We will develop a web interface to allow the
  collection level descriptions to be accessed
  dynamically via the Internet, at a site on the
  Revelation Web pages.

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The partners

• The lead institution is the University of
  Birmingham.
• The primary partners who are involved in both
  facets of the Revelation project include the
  Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow,
  Kings College London, Manchester, Nottingham, St
  Andrews and the University of Wales (Lampeter).
• The secondary partners participating in the
  mapping component include 30 university, public
  and specialist libraries containing the most
  significant collections in the fields of church
  history and Christian theology.

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Collections to be included

• Of the collection data gathered to date,
  approximately 461 collections have been targeted
  for possible inclusion in the mapping exercise.
  Of these approximately 17 will require
  description from scratch, while 55 already have
  some level of description, and 28 will be
  covered by funding from other projects to be
  included in Revelation at a later stage.
• The collections include printed and archive
  material relating to the Episcopalian, Roman
  Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Anglican,
  Presbyterian and Unitarian churches, Quakerism
  and Wesleyism, as well as other satellite groups
  and religious organisations.

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Collections to be included

• The collections also comprise missionary papers,
  and records related to miscellaneous religious
  bodies such as the Church Army, Women in Theology
  and other female organisations, as well as papers
  related to Biblical studies.
• The types of documents in the collections
  include Bibles, hymn books, sermons, parish
  archives, Diocesan records and personal papers of
  several prominent figures and families in 19th
  and 20th century church history and Theology.
• In addition, the collections contain a great
  variety of document formats, including microform,
  photographs, journals and diaries, artefacts and
  other material.

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Guidelines for collection description

• The development of collection descriptions
  comprises the following factors
• Initial definition of collection
• Evaluation of collection content
• Quantification of material
• Overlap with other projects
• Other points for consideration
• Security of collections
• Maintenance of descriptions
• Implications for Data Protection
• Structure and content of description data
• Standards for describing collections

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The Template

• A collection description template, based on the
  UKOLN tool for printed collections and the HE
  Archives Hub template for archival materials, is
  under development. This will allow for accurate
  and consistent inputting of collection data from
  all of the partner institutions, assisted by the
  project officer. A draft of the template has
  been created and, in conjunction with guidelines
  for collection level description, has been posted
  on the Revelation website.
• Revelation mapping guidelines and template
  http//www.is.bham.ac.uk/rslp/revelation/mapping/m
  apping16.htm
• HE Archives Hub site http//www.archiveshub.ac.uk
  /
• UKOLN collection description tool
  http//www.ukoln.ac.uk/metadata/rslp/tool

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Scope

• By giving electronic access to the research
  collections of a large number of university,
  public and specialist libraries across the
  country, we hope that the project will result in
  a considerable expansion of research activity in
  19th and 20th century church history and
  Christian theology. The wide range of subject
  areas and periods covered by the project will
  also facilitate interdisciplinary research and
  ensure that a large community of scholars,
  including historians and philosophers, will
  benefit from the exercise.